Electrical connect-disconnect device

ABSTRACT

An electrical connect-disconnect device for a connection between a high voltage electric main line and a branch line. A female terminal member has a socket and a carrier member has a sleeve which may be aligned with the socket so that a male terminal plug that is rotatably carried in the sleeve penetrates the socket and may be rotated to lock it in place. Cooperating key means on the female member and on the carrier member prevents relative rotation between them.

United States Patent [191 Bridges 1111 3,867,002 Feb. 18,1975

1 1 ELECTRICAL CONNECT-DISCONNECT DEVICE [76] Inventor: Ronald P. Bridges, Bridges Electric,

Inc., 2451 Wisconsin St., Downers Grove, 111. 60515 [22] Filed: Feb. 19, 1974 [21] Appl. No; 443,426

[52] U.S. Cl. 339/88 R, 339/109, 339/113 R [51] Int. Cl HOlr 13/32 [58] Field of Search 339/65, 66 R, 88 R, 108 R,

339/109,110 R, 110 C, 113 R, 184 C, 188

C, 189 R, 190 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,783,328 2/1957 MCClOUd 339/109 X 3,097,905 7/1963 Shearer et al 339/113 R X 3,154,646 10/1964 Jurca et al 339/188 C X 3,539,971 11/1970 Bridges 339/109 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 6,606,428 1/1967 Netherlands 339/188 C Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Assistant ExaminerHoward N. Goldberg Attorney, Agent, or FirmWegner, Stellman, McCord, Wiles & Wood [57] ABSTRACT An electrical connect-disconnect device for a connection between a high voltage electric main line and a branch line. A female terminal member has a socket and a carrier member has a sleeve which may be aligned with the socket so that a male terminal plug that is rotatably carried in the sleeve penetrates the socket and may be rotated to lock it in place. Cooperating key means on the female member and on the carrier member prevents relative rotation between them.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 1 ELECTRICAL CONNECT-DISCONNECT DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention constitutes an improvement upon the electrical connect-disconnect device of my US. Pat. No. 3539971. The device of the patent is a novel electrical connect-disconnect switching device; but its structure is such that it is inherently limited to a branch line conductor having a capacity of no more than 600 amperes. This is because disconnection of the male terminal portion from the female terminal portion requires that the branch conductor be both twisted and bowed, or arched. The necessary manipulation cannot be performed with a branch conductor having a capacity in excess of 600 amperes because such conductors are too stiff.

The present invention eliminates any such limitation, and thus may be applied to branch lines which have a capacity as high as L200 or 1,800 amperes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is to provide an electrical eonnect-disconnect device for making a detachable electrical connection between a high voltage electric main line and a branch line having a capacity greater than 600 amperes.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an electrical connect-disconnect device which is extremely rugged, and in which connection and disconnection may be readily made by a power company service employee using a conventional hook stick.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates the device of the present invention used in a connection between an electric main line and a branch line;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view taken substantially as indicated along the line 33 of FIG. 2, with the male terminal member shown in full lines in its locked position and in broken lines as positioned for removal from the female terminal member;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially as indicated along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially as indicated along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated along the line 88 of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring first to FIG. 1, a main high voltage electric conductor line M is carried on ceramic insulators C on poles P, and at intervals branch lines, or taps T are connected to the main line M through the electrical connect-disconnect devices of the present invention, one of which is indicated generally at 10. The device 10includes a female terminal member. indicated generally at 11, a carrier member, indicated generally at 12, and a male terminal member, indicated generally at 13, which is rotatably mounted in'the carrier 12 and detaehably connected with the female terminal member II. An electrical connection between the female terminal member 11 and the main line M is by a conventional T connector 14, while a connection between the carrier member 12 and the branch line T is by another conventional connector 15.

Referring now principally to FIGS. 2 and 5, the fe male terminal member 11 has a body 16 which is cast from high electrical conductivity aluminum alloy and has a planar mounting area 17 provided with bolt holes 18 by which it is bolted to a connector such as the connector l4. Integral with the body 16 is an annulus I9 (FIG. 6) which defines a socket 20. Secured to the body 16 by means of screws is a cap member 21 (FIGS. 5, 7 and 8) which has internal flanges 22 that are spaced apart to define longitudinal slots 23 at opposite sides of a bore 24. Immediately adjacent the slots 23 the flanges 22 are provided with shoulder means 25. A sheet metal cover 26 is secured to the cap 21 to serve as a shield against rain and dirt.

As best seen in FIG. 6, the annular portion 19 of the body 16 has circumferential slots 27 at its two sides to receive electrical contact assemblies, indicated generally at 28, which are secured to the body 16 by a bolt and nut 29. Each of the contact assemblies 28 includes a copper contact shoe 30 which is silver plated for minimum electric resistance and has an arcuate inner end portion 31 of the same radius of curvature as the socket 20, and the arcuate inner end portions 31 terminate in outwardly flaring tips 32. The contact assemblies also include leaf springs 33 and 34 which back up the contact shoes 30 and bias the shoes into the socket 20.

The body 16 of the female terminal member 11 also has key sockets 35 which are formed parallel to the socket 20 that serve a function to be described hereinafter.

Referring now principally to FIGS. 2 to 5, the carrier member 12 includes a body 37 which is cast from high electrical conductivity aluminum alloy and has a planar mounting portion 38 provided with holes 39 to receive mounting bolts for the connector 15. Integral with the body 37 is an annulus 40 which defines a sleeve 41, and at opposite sides of the annulus 40 are slots such as the slot 42 in FIG. 2 to receive electrical contact assemblies, indicated generally at 43, which are secured to the body 37 by bolts and nuts 44. The contact elements 43 are structurally like the contact elements 28 of the female terminal member 11, and include silver plated copper contact shoes 45 and leaf springs 46 and 47 which bias the contact shoes into the sleeve 41.

The carrier member body 37 has bores 48 in which key guide pins 49 make a drive fit, and as seen in FIG. 5 when the parts of the device 10 are in their electrical connecting position the key guide pins 49 are telescopically received in the key guide sockets 35 of the female terminal member 11 so as to prevent relative rotation between the female terminal member 11 and the carrier member 12.

As best seen in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 the male terminal member 13, which is fabricated from a high electrical conductivity aluminum alloy, includes a cylindrical body, indicated generally at 50, which is rotatably mounted in the sleeve 41 of the carrier member 12. The body 50 has a projecting plug portion 51 which extends into the socket 20 of the female terminal member 11, and the plug portion has a reduced end portion 52 that extends through the bore 24 of the cap 21 and has oppositely projecting radial pins 53 that provide shoulders which slide through the slots 23 when the male terminal member 13 is inserted into the female terminal member 11. After the shoulders 53 have cleared the flanges 22 the male terminal member 13 may be rotated counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 7 so that the soulders 53 override the shoulder means 25 of the flanges 22. An annular compression spring 54 surrounds the base of the reduced end portion 52 and bears against the under side of the cap 21 to bias the shoulders 53 against the flanges 22.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the male terminal member 13 is rotatably retained in the carrier member 12 by means of an external flange 55 and radially extending pins 56 which are adjacent opposite faces 57 and 58, respectively, of the carrier member 12. The flange 55 also has an integral ring 59 which may be engaged by a hook stick for rotating the male terminal member 13 in the carrier member 12 when it is to be disengaged from the female terminal member 11.

Referring to FIG. 3, the carrier 12 has a first stop pin 60 and a second stop pin 61 projecting from its face 57, and a radially extending integral fingers 62 on the flange 55 is positioned between the two stop pins which limit rotation of the male terminal member 13 to an angle of 45. In addition, the carrier 12 is provided with circumferentially spaced visible indicia 63 and 64, with the index 63 consisting of a pointer with which the finger 62 is aligned when the male terminal member 13 is in its locked position, and the index 64 being a notch with which the finger 62 is aligned when the shoulders 53 are aligned with the slots 23 of the cap 21 for removal of the male terminal member 13 from the female terminal member 12.

As best seen in FIGS. and 6, the male terminal member body 50 is provided with silver contact assemblies 65 which bear upon the contact shoes 30 of the female terminal member 11, and also has silver contact assemblies 66 which bear upon the contact shoes 45 of the carrier member 12. The silver contact assemblies 65 and 66 are seen in FIG. 6 to be mounted in the male terminal member body 50 in the same way as are the contact assemblies that are illustrated in FIG. 7 of US. Pat. No. 3539971.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A connect-disconnect device for use with high voltage electric lines comprising, in combination:

a female terminal member adapted to be electrically connected to a main conductor line, said female terminal member having an annular wall defining a socket which is open at one end and has longitudinal slots;

resilient electrical contact means in said socket,

shoulder means on said wall adjacent said slots,

and first key means on the female terminal member;

a carrier member adapted to be electrically connected to a branch conductor line, said carrier member having an annular wall defining a sleeve which is open at both ends,

resilient electrical contact means in said sleeve,

and second key means on said carrier member engageable with said first key means to prevent relative rotation between the female terminal member and the carrier member;

a cylindrical male terminal member rotatably mounted in said sleeve, said male terminal member having a plug portion adapted for insertion into the socket of the'female terminal member,

external shoulders on said plug portion which move through the longitudinal slots of the female terminal member as the plug portion is inserted in the socket, said maleterminal member being rotatable when the plug portion is fully inserted to engage said external shoulders with the shoulder means on the female terminal member and thereby releasabiy lock the male terminal member in the female terminal member, and electrical contact means on the male terminal member which is in engagement with the electrical contact means in the socket and in the sleeve in the locked position of the male terminal member.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the first and second key means comprise mating guide pin and socket means which engage telescopically when the external shoulder means on the male terminal plug portion are aligned with the longitudinal slots of the female terminal member.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the male terminal member has radially projecting retaining means overlapping opposite ends of the annular carrier wall to retain the male terminal member rotatably in the carrier.

4. The combination of claim 1 in which an end of the carrier member is provided with circumferentially spaced stop pins, and the male terminal member has a radially extending finger between said stop pins to limit rotation of the male terminal member in the carrier member.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which said end of the carrier member has circumferentially spaced first and second visible indicia, and the finger on the male terminal member is aligned with one of said indicia in the locked position of the male terminal member and with the other of said indicia when the external shoulders on the plug portion are aligned with the longitudinal slots of the female terminal member.

6. The combination of claim 1 which includes resilient means biasing the shoulders on the plug portion against the female terminal member shoulder means when the male terminal member is in its locked position.

7. The combination of claim 1 in which the resilient electric contact means in the socket and in the sleeve have inner surfaces that are arcuate and generally concentric with the cylindrical surface of the male terminal member.

8. The combination of claim 1 in which the carrier member is provided with a mounting flange for an electric branch line connector, said flange being oriented to receive a connector with the connected end portion of the branch line generally normal to the axis of the carrier member sleeve.

9. The combination of claim 1 in which the female terminal member includes a cap that overlies the annular wall and is provided with spaced internal, circumferentally extending flanges the ends of which define the longitudinal slots.

10. The combination of claim 1 in which the shoulder means are integral with the flanges and immediately adjacent the longitudinal slots. 

1. A connect-disconnect device for use with high voltage electric lines comprising, in combination: a female terminal member adapted to be electrically connected to a main conductor line, said female terminal member having an annular wall defining a socket which is open at one end and has longitudinal slots; resilient electrical contact means in said socket, shoulder means on said wall adjacent said slots, and first key means on the female terminal member; a carrier member adapted to be electrically connected to a branch conductor line, said carrier member having an annular wall defining a sleeve which is open at both ends, resilient electrical contact means in said sleeve, and second key means on said carrier member engageable with said first key means to prevent relative rotation between the female terminal member and the carrier member; a cylindrical male terminal member rotatably mounted in said sleeve, said male terminal member having a plug portion adapted for insertion into the socket of the female terminal member, external shoulders on said plug portion which move through the longitudinal slots of the female terminal member as the plug portion is inserted in the socket, said male terminal member being rotatable when the plug portion is fully inserted to engage said external shoulders with the shoulder means on the female terminal member and thereby releasably lock the male terminal member in the female terminal member, and electrical contact means on the male terminal member which is in engagement with the electrical contact means in the socket and in the sleeve in the locked position of the male terminal member.
 2. The combination of claim 1 in which the first and second key means comprise mating guide pin and socket means which engage telescopically when the external shoulder means on the male terminal plug portion are aLigned with the longitudinal slots of the female terminal member.
 3. The combination of claim 1 in which the male terminal member has radially projecting retaining means overlapping opposite ends of the annular carrier wall to retain the male terminal member rotatably in the carrier.
 4. The combination of claim 1 in which an end of the carrier member is provided with circumferentially spaced stop pins, and the male terminal member has a radially extending finger between said stop pins to limit rotation of the male terminal member in the carrier member.
 5. The combination of claim 4 in which said end of the carrier member has circumferentially spaced first and second visible indicia, and the finger on the male terminal member is aligned with one of said indicia in the locked position of the male terminal member and with the other of said indicia when the external shoulders on the plug portion are aligned with the longitudinal slots of the female terminal member.
 6. The combination of claim 1 which includes resilient means biasing the shoulders on the plug portion against the female terminal member shoulder means when the male terminal member is in its locked position.
 7. The combination of claim 1 in which the resilient electric contact means in the socket and in the sleeve have inner surfaces that are arcuate and generally concentric with the cylindrical surface of the male terminal member.
 8. The combination of claim 1 in which the carrier member is provided with a mounting flange for an electric branch line connector, said flange being oriented to receive a connector with the connected end portion of the branch line generally normal to the axis of the carrier member sleeve.
 9. The combination of claim 1 in which the female terminal member includes a cap that overlies the annular wall and is provided with spaced internal, circumferentally extending flanges the ends of which define the longitudinal slots.
 10. The combination of claim 1 in which the shoulder means are integral with the flanges and immediately adjacent the longitudinal slots. 